Survival Instinct
by Aquila Grey
Summary: If the Shikon no Tama was trying to fulfill her ungranted wish eight years after she made it, Kagome wasn't sure if she trusted its judgement. Levi/Kagome Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Characters and plot from canon belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Hajime Isayama.

So this story deviates away from anything and everything, but I haven't written a fanfic in years (like actually almost 10 years) and I wanted to see if I could do it… Honestly, I'm always swamped with work, so this is just an on-my-free-time kind of thing.

Characters will undoubtedly be OOC, though I do make an effort to stay in line. First chapter will establish a bit of the background, so no Attack on Titan quite yet (Next chapter!). Chapters will probably be shorter so I can update sooner than once in a thousand years, haha.

Rating may change.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

"Miko."

A gust of wind blew the smell of smoke and blood in their direction. Kagome tilted her head. Her eyes stayed locked onto the scene in the valley before she wrenched her eyes away and turned to fully face the youkai.

Sesshoumaru regarded her with a cool demeanor, unaffected by the carnage below. "Focus."

Kagome sighed, nodding in resignation. She fiddled with the silky, white sleeves of her miko garb and adjusted the bow slung around her shoulder. There was nothing they could have done. Humans fighting against humans. Of course. Two minor lords outside the border of the Western territory had become hostile over the ownership of a trade route and had decided to wage war. While the civilians had not wanted any part in the war, they were forced to defend their homes. Sesshoumaru and Kagome arrived after the fighting was over. There had been no survivors.

Despite what she might have thought when she was younger, Kagome realised that people – humans – did not change. Not as a species, anyway. Humans held a basic instinct for survival that was shared by all organisms that inhabited the world they lived in. When viewed in that regard, nothing changed at all. Individuals; however, were both subjects and agents of change. That was already obvious in the stark contrast between this era and the one she was born in. Humans had a propensity for greed, selfishness, and destruction. Beyond individuals, change was present in the waters and lands of the earth, acting even in the absence of life forms. Time was the only constant. Time spent in the Sengoku period chasing down the fragments of an innocuous-looking jewel had changed her beyond anything she could have imagined before she first fell down that well.

It wasn't like her personality was completely different. However, the massacre that occurred at Naraku's hand all those years ago had twisted something deep within her. She had built a family only to have it ripped away. Briefly, she thought of Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru had pulled her out of her self-pity and brought back a resolve that allowed her to stand tall and keep moving. He was her only family now.

She shook herself out of her musings. "It should be around here somewhere." Kagome closed her eyes and focused on the wisps of energy that had been emanating from the side of the mountain like a beacon – the only reason the two of them had ventured outside of the Western borders today to investigate.

They had begun their regular patrol earlier in the morning. It had been a quiet day, so there was no reason not to seek out the energy. The cloud of smoke had been yet another reason to head in the direction of the mountains. In the end, the smoke had only led them to the aftermath of a battle. The ground was littered with human bodies that Kagome wanted to bury, but there were more pressing matters…she really wanted to know what that energy was about. Perhaps she would later today.

The path of energy drew her several hundred meters away from where they had been standing to an alcove within a patch of trees. Kagome circled around the area, but did not find any demon or being present. "There's no one here, but… I think it's coming from this place."

Sesshoumaru brushed by her, scrutinizing the smooth surface of the alcove for a few moments. A swift kick sent a stray pebble straight towards it.

"What –" She closed her mouth as the pebble passed straight through the rock and disappeared. "An illusion." Kagome frowned, regarding their situation in a new light.

At first, they had thought the flux of energy had come from a distressed youkai. Sesshoumaru had not cared to investigate, but Kagome kept pushing him. He had finally agreed, if only to stop her protests of 'but what if they're in trouble!', 'what if they're sick!', 'what if someone's dying!' After all, it was their duty to eliminate potential threats at the Western borders. Now, this energy could be anything. It had seemed demonic from afar, but being so close to it now, it didn't feel like anything familiar at all. In retrospect, she should have known it wasn't a demon. An injured demon would not send out a distress call that large in fear of attracting other demons to finish the job. But then why would Sesshoumaru agree to this? Most likely, he was just as curious to know.

The illusion wavered slightly. They shared a look before the taiyoukai unsheathed his sword, Bakusaiga. This prompted Kagome to draw her own sword, Junsaiga, forged from Sesshoumaru's own fang. Years together had forged a familial bond between them.

"Lady Kagome." A girl, maybe twelve or thirteen years old, emerged out of the illusion wearing a simple white dress and no shoes. She bowed low, holding her pose for several silent seconds before straightening. "Please come this way. The Lady has been expecting you." She turned back around without making eye contact and disappeared back through the stone wall.

A gust of wind rustled the trees around them.

"If this is someone's screwed up version of a trap, I am going to be so mad," Kagome huffed, covering her nervousness up with irritation. "I didn't miss lunch and come all the way out here for this kind of drama!"

"Hn."

"She didn't even address you...does that mean I'm the only one who's supposed to follow her?" She pursed her lips and then rounded on Sesshoumaru. "Also _you've_ barely said a single thing since we left! I feel like I'm alone and talking to myself!" He merely raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to release another huff.

"There is a..." he paused, "strangeness in the air. I would advise against going alone."

It was the most he had said all day and Kagome wanted to roll her eyes, but she refrained. A miniscule frown upon his face belied his concern for their situation. Sesshoumaru caught her forearm before she progressed forward. "Kagome," he stressed, catching her attention, "the girl had no heartbeat."

Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding. Regardless, Kagome stepped through the illusion with only slight hesitation, Sesshoumaru close behind her. She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding; Sesshoumaru was able to follow her after all. There was a need for her to know what was going on; she had a compulsion to investigate. Did this have anything to do with the carnage down the mountain? No, that had trouble had been brewing for the last fortnight. Demon, human, or whatever, she had felt this strange compulsion since they had sensed the energy earlier in the day. Surely Sesshoumaru had felt the same way, right?

It was dark, but the girl was waiting inside with a torch. It illuminated a cavernous pathway, the dim light flickering as though caressed by an invisible wind. Several minutes passed in silence with only the small patter of Kagome and Sesshoumaru's footsteps echoing into the darkness. Kagome did not fail to notice the lack of sound coming from the girl leading them.

She peered at the figure. Slowly, Kagome began to realise that the girl's dress was strange. Was it…warping? The pathway was too narrow for Sesshoumaru and her to walk side by side, so there was no way for Kagome to confirm with him unless she turned around. The longer she stared at the girl's dress, the more convinced she became that she wasn't imagining things. The hem of the dress was twisting somehow, and the twisting was becoming more pronounced as they ventured further into the passageway.

Kagome gripped her sword tightly.

At once, the girl's figure spiraled, and then disappeared, along with the torch, leaving the two in complete darkness.

Her breath hitched, and she stepped back, free hand seeking out her companion. "Sesshoumaru?!"

"This Sesshoumaru is here." His voice came out low and directly behind her.

"This Kagome is relieved," she replied dryly, but her heart calmed with the reassurance that he was still there. She blindly held her sword out in front of her, imagining that the rustle of fabric she heard must have been then taiyoukai doing the same thing. For a few moments, she deliberated whether they should keep going forward, or turn around and hope there was still an entranceway to exit from.

"I am glad to see that you received my message, Lady Kagome. Lord Sesshoumaru, your presence is not required, but no matter. There is little that can be done about that now."

Kagome jumped as an image warped into existence before her very eyes. The cavern was small and barren, with smooth walls and an even dirt floor. But that wasn't what caught her attention. At the end of the cave sat an old, hunched over woman in a wooden chair, a thin blanket spilling over her lap. Her braided grey hair hung over the side of the chair. She smiled at the two of them, beckoning them closer.

The miko took a step forward, allowing Sesshoumaru to come forward and stand beside her. She held her sword out in front of her despite the unassuming air of the woman. Kagome knew better than most that looks could be deceiving. Did this woman also lack a heartbeat?

"Please, do not be alarmed. There is no need to have your weapons out. I cannot harm you in the same way that you cannot harm me, so lower your swords."

"You have no scent," Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome furrowed her brows. No scent? If this was a trap, why would an illusion continue on after the girl has vanished?

The old woman smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I ceased to exist physically long ago. I only exist here now as a spirit, a messenger, if you will. The image that you are seeing is merely a manifestation of ancient magic, that of which you can perceive by sight and sound, but cannot smell or touch."

Neither of them had a response, but then Sesshoumaru began to move forward, sheathing his sword and approaching slowly. Was he familiar with this kind of thing? Trusting his judgement, Kagome mirrored his actions. She glanced at him, trying to glean something from his expression. There was a strange look in his eyes. What was he thinking about?

"That is much better." Now that Kagome was close, she could also see the warped, fraying edges of the blanket on the woman's lap. "We shall progress immediately into business," the woman announced, "I sent a signal out with the hopes of you seeking me out and I am satisfied to know that it was successful. But that is not the main matter today. Lady Kagome, when you first entered this era ten years ago, I foresaw your journey with the Shikon no Tama, the hardships and triumphs you would face, and your alliance with Lord Sesshoumaru. I have watched over you as you mastered your spiritual powers and combat training and rose as the right hand of the Western Lands. You have always risen to the occasion." She smiled knowingly, watching the confusion on Kagome's face.

A light breeze drifted through the cavern.

"I don't understand."

"I am only the embodiment of an ancient magic. This ancient magic permeates the land around you – the same magic that allowed you to travel through time, and the same magic that withered away and did not allow you to return."

Kagome's heart clenched. She may have come to terms with the situation long ago, but it was still a sore spot.

"This magic, however, is fueled by fate. Just as you were meant to break the jewel, you were also meant to put it back together. Just as you were meant to stay in this era and travel with Lord Sesshoumaru, you were meant to come here today. Now, this is only the most natural next step, the progression. You shall have what was formerly denied to you."

Something the woman said put her on edge. She took a step back. What did she mean by the next step? A progression? The wind was picking up. There was a surge of foreign power.

"Do not fret; Fate has written it." The image of the old woman flickered for a moment as the wind blew a cloud of dust through her. "I will be brief. You were never meant to stay here, time traveller. You have done well, but time is moving. I am sorry to say that the taiyoukai will not be joining you. Remember the wall, but do not travel. In time, they will come to you. For your services to humanity you will –"

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome screamed as the unrelenting wind suddenly picked up further in speed. She began to slide back away from the taiyoukai. There was nothing to hold on to. She tried to take a step forward, but the wind quickly foiled her actions.

"–be rewarded for your efforts. You –"

Another cloud of dust swiveled around the cavern, forcing her to throw her hands up and shield her face. She was going to hit the walls anytime now with the rate she was sliding back.

"–will find your–"

Kagome locked eyes with Sesshoumaru. He was a portrait of calmness, despite the wind angrily whipping at his hair; the youkai appeared unaffected, as always. But she knew him well. There in his eyes – understanding and resignation.

"–happiness."

A familiar blue light blinded Kagome's vision. Her back hit the wall and the illusion dropped, pitching the cavern back into darkness, one taiyoukai standing in the silence.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated, thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Characters and plot from canon belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Hajime Isayama.

My writing is pretty scattered, so I hope you can follow my flow without losing too much interest. :S The start is going to be pretty slow, so bear with me until Kagome encounters civilization again, haha.

I don't think I've tried writing a lot of action before… I hope it's not too dry. It's also an unusually long chapter for me…

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 _The battle was over, but Kagome thought the air still felt suffocating,_

I should've been stronger. _She had lost so much due to this jewel and the ambitions of a hanyou. Half demon and half human, it seemed as though either side would never lose their penchant for power. Even now, Kagome found herself haunted by the idea that she could have done so much more for her friends if she had only been stronger, had more power, had more drive, had – if only. As much as she blamed Naraku for the deaths that he had wrought, she also blamed herself for the little she had been able to contribute during the battle._

 _Her eyes were bloodshot, and she had not managed to cease the trembling in her blood-stained hands. Kagome did not know how long she had been sitting at the edge of the well for, staring at the fresh mounds of dirt spaced evenly in front of the Goshinboku. It had taken her longer to find the pieces – Kagome choked – of her companions than it had to dig their graves. She had chosen to bury them together in the clearing where it had all started, both two years ago and four hundred and ninety-eight years into the future._

 _The pink of the jewel gleamed in the sunlight._ I wish I was stronger _. It was a bitter thought, but she wouldn't voice it aloud._ I wish I could be happy _. Neither would work as wishes on the jewel; it was necessary for the wish to be unselfish, otherwise their sacrifices would have been for nothing. There were many things Kagome wanted to wish for, but what counted as an unselfish wish?_

 _Kagome thought of Inuyasha, who had only wanted Kikyo's love. She thought of Miroku, who had been a prisoner to his own fate. There was Shippou, who had lost his parents, and Sango, who had lost her entire village. All of this could have been avoided._

 _A searing anger ripped through her and she wrapped the jewel in her fist, her hand trembling, but her grip firm. None of this would have happened if the jewel didn't exist. All this fighting, and only for a stupid, overpowered marble._

" _I wish the jewel was destroyed."_

 _Moments passed with her heart pounding in her chest. She had said that out loud._

 _A flock of birds flew overhead._

 _Nothing was happening – why the_ fuck _was nothing happening. She had made a wish. The jewel should have been gone now. At the very least, something should have happened._

" _I wish the jewel was destroyed," Kagome repeated. "I wish the jewel was destroyed!" She said it more forcefully, but the Shikon no Tama remained dormant, appearing as harmless as a children's toy. The anger that had abated in her confusion came raging back. "You_ stupid _thing, go destroy yourself already!"_

 _She flung the jewel across the clearing and folded her body over her knees, back hunched and face in her hands. Tears welled up in her eyes again; she had lost count of how many times she had cried today. Why wasn't it working? It was the one thing she could have done to fulfill the pact she had made with her friends, but the jewel would not grant her wish. She had been near-useless in the fight. Did her word mean nothing now, as well?_

 _Sniffling, Kagome forced herself to centre her thoughts. If the jewel still existed, then she still had a duty to protect it. It was the least that she could do. She would protect it until she died._

" _Miko."_

 _Kagome started, almost falling backwards into the well. Her shoulders relaxed subtly when she realised it was only Sesshoumaru. She hadn't sensed him approaching, so occupied she was in her sorrow. He was a dangerous enemy, although they had settled into an uneasy alliance before. That should not have changed now that the battle was over. Her errant powers flared in response to the potential threat, but she stifled them. If there was anything she could be certain about the taiyoukai, it was that he was a being of honour. She was in no danger here._

 _The pure Shikon was nestled in his hands, and he rolled it between his fingers before making his way over to Kagome and dropping it into her hands. "You should not be so careless with this…bauble." His words were slow and measured._

 _She sent him a weak smile. "Sesshoumaru," she began quietly. Helplessly. "I made a wish."_

 _He raised an eyebrow and sent her an inquiring glance._

" _It–" her voice hitched and she took a steadying breath. "I – nothing happened. I tried several times but I don't know why it's not working. Something's supposed to happen, but I feel like I'm wishing on a piece of glass!" Kagome looked up at him earnestly, as if hoping he would hold the answers for her, but he only frowned._

 _If Kagome had to guess, she would say his expression seemed shuttered, though she could not claim any ability to read him. There was something weary in his eyes, but then again she was not the only one to lose someone close to her in the past two years. Rin was the last person that should have been affected by the terrors. Instead, she had been the first to go._

" _I wish for the jewel to be destroyed." She bit her lip. "I wish it ceased to exist. I wish it was gone! I wish –" Kagome snarled and made a move to hurl it once again._

 _Sesshoumaru caught her wrist almost painfully, his amber eyes boring into hers._

" _Let me go! I need to get rid of this stupid jewel! I need to – I need –"_

" _The jewel will not succumb to your repeated efforts," he nearly sighed. "Just as the well will not respond although you have tried that as well." His words stung, but there was a truthfulness in his what he had said. Kagome could not hate him for that._

 _She relaxed the muscles in her wrist, and the taiyoukai let go. After a final glance at the Shikon, Kagome reattached it to her necklace and tucked it into her tattered school uniform. She smoothed her hands over the crusted blood decorating her forest green skirt and pushed off onto her feet._

 _For a second, Kagome thought of her brother, Souta, and her mom and grandpa. That home was no longer an option. Four graves lay in front of the Goshinboku. This place was no longer a home without the smiles and laughter of her makeshift family. She no longer had any purpose to remain here. It only took her a moment of deliberation before she made a decision._

 _Steeling her resolve, Kagome turned towards Sesshoumaru and bent into a deep bow. "Lord Sesshoumaru, please allow me to accompany you on your travels, wherever that may be." Her voice was formal and strained, as if she was struggling not to cry again._

 _Kagome held herself in that position, listening to the rustling leaves and the quiet exhale from the taiyoukai in front of her. So busy taking in the silence, she almost missed his reply:_

" _Gather your belongings, we leave at sunset."_

-XXX-

Blue sky.

She blinked, chasing away the heaviness in her eyelids. Her last dream teetered at the edge of her consciousness before slipping away.

Tall, green grasses framed her vision. It was quiet out, the kind of quiet that Kagome had come to appreciate from the Sengoku period. Kagome stared blankly up at the clouds. The fresh, dewy smell of the earth told her it was morning. There were no auras nearby – had Sesshoumaru left to catch breakfast?

Involuntarily, she swallowed at the thought of food. Her saliva went down thick; she was parched. Grappling for her water bag, she downed the little there was left. And what was digging into her shoulder blades? Her bow? But why would she sleep with her bow on her?

Kagome sat up, head throbbing.

Oh. _Oh._

She surged to her feet, stumbling. Ignoring the pins and needles in her toes and the rapid _thump-thump_ of her heart, Kagome anxiously took in her surroundings.

The large, grassy field was a far cry from the dark cavern she last remembered being in. Small, lavender flowers littered the greenery, reminding her of Rin's favourite pastime all those years ago. Encircling the entire meadow was a dark, ominous treeline, just far enough away in all directions that sunlight managed to filter through and illuminate the field. The trees seemed gargantuan from where she was standing, and Kagome could only imagine it becoming more daunting as she approached.

"…Sesshoumaru?" Although a part of her recognized her effort was futile, she whispered his name hoping he would emerge out of the treeline somewhere. Silence greeted her in return.

 _Think, Kagome. What do you know?_ She had been sent here by someone or something…without Sesshoumaru. There had been a blue light. Years had passed, but there was no way she could forget the colours and sensations of travelling through time. So most likely, Kagome was no longer in the same time period. But had she travelled forward or backward in time? There seemed to be no sign of civilization that she could use to judge, and forest was forest no matter the era. But…something was nagging her at the edge of her senses.

Kagome took a closer look around her. The grasses felt stiffer beneath her feet and scratched at her calves. She had taken it upon herself long ago to identify the fauna around her, but she did not recognize these purple flowers. There was a different colour to the trees in the distance, the leaves and bark darker than she remembered, and the air colder.

Her heart jumped up to her throat and her breathing came out short. _Am I not in Japan anymore?_

She sat down with the horror of her realization, unmoving, until the sun loomed over the clearing, chasing away the morning chill from her body.

 _If I'm not in Japan, then where am I?_ Kagome took a deep breath, combing her fingers through her hair in an effort to relax. The presence of the sun overhead had shaken her out of her musings; she had already spent too much time wallowing in self-pity. She forced herself to brush off the looming feeling of loneliness and confusion. There were more pressing problems to worry about at the moment, namely survival. She had to find food, water, and perhaps better shelter for the night than where she was currently situated.

Careful examination of her bow showed a hairline fracture that must have occurred when she arrived in the forest. Her quiver lay several metres from her, thankfully full of arrows. Junsaiga remained by her side.

She would have to venture into the forest.

While it had seemed ominous from the outside, Kagome thought the forest was rather beautiful now that she was entering its depths.

She hoisted herself up onto a low branch, and then slowly ascended, jumping from one branch to another. After surveying the area, Kagome thought she could see a sparkle of something through a narrow gap in the trees. Hoping it could be water, she leapt off the branch from almost fifteen metres off the ground, tucking herself into a ball as she made contact with the ground. The impact was jarring, but cushioned by her roll. Only slightly ruffled, Kagome sought out water.

Hours later, Kagome emerged back into the clearing with several stacks of branches, two rabbits, and a full skin of water. She had failed to find a more suitable shelter inside the forest, preferring the open space that would allow her to see anything coming from all directions. The sun was setting, so the miko worked quickly, her body moving mechanically from years of routine.

The tall grasses around here were shorn and put aside in a pile for makeshift bedding. In the centre of the wide, cleared area she had made, Kagome used a branch to dig out a small, circular hole in the ground. The outer edges were soon lined with mid-sized rocks that she had found near the treeline. Placing a few branches inside the hole, Kagome started a fire.

Soon enough, a fire was crackling and the rabbit was cooked enough to eat.

The night was cold, and Kagome hunkered down further into the pile of grasses, wrapping her flowing sleeves more tightly around her. Her feet stretched towards the dying flames.

Time performing familiar tasks had helped her put her thoughts together. Under the glow of the moon, Kagome was thinking more clearly than she had in the morning. She had been told to stay where she was and people would find her. Did they somehow know she was coming? While in the forest, Kagome had not encountered any humans at all. How would they find her? How long would it take? A month? A year? Kagome could not imagine staying in solitude for so long. She was inherently social, and the utter lack of humans around would get to her if she had to stay in one place for so long.

And then there was a wall. _Remember the wall._ What was that supposed to mean? Kagome couldn't imagine any wall being so important, but if it was mentioned, it must have had some particular significance. She thought of the Berlin Wall and the Great Wall of China. Alright, so maybe a wall could be important after all.

Kagome sighed as more unbidden thoughts cluttered her mind. _Where am I? What era is this? Why am I here?_

She had so many unanswered questions.

Her eyes drooped. Feeling sleep begin to claim her, Kagome encased her campsite in a barrier, giving the sky above her a pink tinge.

She slept fitfully that night.

-XXX-

A ringing sound pierced the air as Kagome unsheathed her sword and slashed a straight, precise line into the log in front of her. Fifteen marks, side-by-side. Fifteen days.

The morning began with her established routine. She began her katas when the sun rose, focusing on her form and the swing of her sword until late morning, when she entered the forest, following the small notches she had placed on the trees to a stream about an hour away. There, she refilled her water skin and quickly bathed herself in the icy, running waters. Kagome then wandered the forest, gathering the edible plants and berries she could find into a basket she had woven using grasses. After catching some more food – sometimes a bird, a rabbit, or other small rodents – she would begin her trek back to her campsite. It would be late afternoon by then.

She would listen for signs of human life throughout her entire excursion.

In the evenings, she would prepare some food, and then settle down for a session of meditation, honing her spiritual powers. In those times she would stretch her senses out thin, looking for a sign of any odd life, but her senses told her nothing.

The same dream returned to her every night, but she was never able to grasp it long enough to remember its contents in the morning.

Today, however, felt different. She had awoken, hackles raised. Her surroundings gave no indication that anything was amiss – birds were still chirping and there was nothing unnatural about the quiet sounds coming from the forest.

 _Maybe I'm hallucinating_ , Kagome thought wearily. Her instincts had never led her astray, though.

The morning passed without incident, but Kagome felt unsettled and therefore did not leave the clearing, foregoing her usual routine for the safety of familiar ground. She ate the cold leftovers from yesterday and resisted the urge to pace.

Soon enough, her legs betrayed her and she began pacing anyway.

By mid-afternoon, Kagome became convinced that her feelings were just evidence of her going crazy. She sat down with a huff at the base of a tree.

The ground shook slightly as she reached for a berry, and Kagome rolled her eyes at the tricks her mind was determined to play on her. It was only when she was grabbing another berry that she stilled.

The ground was shaking at even intervals, gradually increasing in intensity. Kagome could hear the _thud_ that accompanied every shake. It almost seemed like… _footsteps_.

Kagome scrambled to her feet just as a massive figure emerged from the treeline. She choked. It looked about eleven metres tall and held a frightening resemblance to a human. Almost barrel-chested, it had short, black hair and no visible reproductive organs.

…It was also approaching her with alarming alacrity.

"What the fuck!" Kagome barely managed to shake herself of out her shock in time to dive to the side. A large footprint adorned the ground where she had been only seconds before.

Kagome spun around, unsheathing Junsaiga in a single movement and assuming a defensive stance. Was this… _thing_ even human? Was this the human that was supposed to find her? No, it did not seem very intelligent. She refused to believe this was what she was waiting for all along. She spread out her aura; this…beast was not demon, either.

A whoosh of air alerted her to the left arm that swiped at her and she twisted her sword at it, cleanly slicing off its fingers. Steam erupted from the cut, causing Kagome to backpedal quickly. _It's so hot!_ Even without fingers, the beast gave no sign of pain as it continued to reach for her with disturbing purpose.

Her heart thundered inside her ribcage as she ran a circle around it, still not sure what to make of the situation. It wasn't the tallest thing she had ever faced, but it was frightening in its grotesque resemblance to a human. A burst of spiritual energy sizzled the skin at its foot, giving it a gangrene appearance.

The beast stumbled for a moment, appearing to have difficulty standing. At the edge of the rotten foot, its leg slid off and hit the ground with a great _plop_ , although it was still not deterred in its goal of grabbing her.

Kagome tightened her trembling hands over the hilt of her sword. It was not a demon, so she didn't expect to purify it, but somehow she had expected it to do something more. Something, at least, to cause it flee. Instead, it continued towards her as if possessed, not unlike a demon carrying a tainted Shikon shard.

The beast's left hand came down at her again, and Kagome jumped back to avoid its palm. Fingers grasped at her chest and tightened, swinging her in a large arc.

Kagome yelped as she came face-to-face with the beast's face. His skin was burning hot through the fabric of her parts and his grip was painfully tight, but that wasn't what terrified her.

 _Didn't I cut its fingers off!?_ Kagome shot a wild look at the beast, pupils blown wide in terror. _Did it regenerate?_ Craning her neck, she risked a glance at the foot she had attempted to purify. It was regenerating in front of her eyes, albeit sluggishly.

A hot breath caused her hair to flutter and ripped her attention back to the beast's face. She was rapidly approaching its mouth. A terrifying thought raced through her mind – _Is it trying to eat me!?_ She began to struggle uselessly, her mind clouded in her panic. As it moved to bite her, Kagome raised her arms up in a futile defense, banging them against its large fingers.

 _Oh my god, this can't be how I die_! Its hands were squeezing further and Kagome was heaving, her breath coming out in short gasps. Black spots swam in her vision and tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. She wondered if she was going to die right there in the monster's fist or inside its mouth.

A momentary flash of light against metal reminded her that she wasn't completely defenseless. She was still holding her sword!

With a heavy of her upper body, she took a large, laboured breath and slashed at the hand restricting her. Steam blew up into her face as its severed palm fell away from its wrist.

Without anything to hold her anymore, Kagome began to freefall at a dangerous angle. Mind racing, the miko twisted in the air, driving her sword into the chest of her opponent – the closest to her as she was falling. Gravity brought her down with little resistance, slicing a clean, deep line from the top of its chest down to the organ-less space between its legs. She hit the ground in a crouch and rolled forward, using her momentum to dart behind the beast and slash at its Achilles.

Blood and red slime poured down from the gash on its body. It teetered on its feet precariously before falling forward with a great rumble. As it somehow began to hoist itself up, Kagome lunged for its neck, severing its head.

Kagome held her breath, not daring to hope it was dead after she witnessed its regenerative capabilities. At the sign of it twitching, Kagome let out a furious cry, raising Junsaiga above her head and blindly hacking at its neck like a woman possessed, ribbons of flesh flying, until the plumes of steam obscured her vision. On the last swing of her sword, she found no resistance and stumbled forward. The edge of her blade embedded itself into the dirt. She landed heavily on her knees, lungs burning from fear and exertion.

The beast – all eleven metres of it – was gone. The only evidence that anything had been there at all was rapidly dissipating steam, trampled grasses, and an odd, slimy substance that had spilled out of its belly when she ripped it open.

Dragging her body off the ground, Kagome trudged over to inspect the substance. Her shaky hands covered her mouth.

Dismembered limbs and half-melted bodies were strewn in the slime. A boy's face was visible in the mess, eyes blown with terror and a mouth frozen in a silent scream.

 _What is this hell?_

Unable to tear her eyes away, Kagome stared at the mess of human matter until the slime crystallized, preserving the face of the boy under a layer of translucent rock.

Kagome only managed to take a few steps back before she heaved and puked out the little she had eaten that morning. She had witnessed many horrific things over the past ten years, but this… this was an entirely new reality – a reality where humans were eaten by other tall, humanoid beasts. Kagome wiped her mouth and smiled grimly. She was no stranger to the severed limbs and bodies she saw here, but Kagome supposed seeing them emerge out of a stomach was a completely different experience. Was this why she hadn't run into a human yet? How many more of these things were there, anyway?

She began to catalogue what she knew. The beast didn't appear too intelligent. It had regenerative powers, and it was hot to the touch. Spiritual powers affected it, but not to the same extent as in demons; it seemed to rot. It did not react to pain. It also wanted to eat her. Kagome didn't know what exactly caused it to die, but it may have had something to do with the head and neck. It also didn't leave any body parts or fluids when it died – well, except for its stomach contents, which she had ripped out beforehand.

An image of large, gleaming eyes and a wide mouth rose in her mind. Her heart began to beat faster, but this time Kagome ruthlessly crushed the fear down before it could take hold. She had nearly died earlier because of fear. She lost control of her emotions, therefore she had lost control of the situation. It was a rookie mistake that she almost paid for with her life.

This clearing was no longer safe, but perhaps it had never been. Why had the beast appeared now? She had stayed here for fifteen days without incident. Perhaps it had just stumbled through? Kagome eyed the high branches of the trees, but didn't want to risk sleeping there in case she fell in the middle of the night. Perhaps this meadow was still her best option. She could see if another one came through the trees, and the barrier she had erected every night should be sufficient to protect her from at least a first blow, which would give her time to wake up and fight.

Resigning herself to staying, Kagome headed back to her makeshift campsite. Sometime while she was lost in dark thoughts, the sun had set. She settled into her grassy bedding, exhausted. Kagome teetered on the edge of consciousness. A barrier flickered into existence around her.

 _I wish I was stronger._

Where had that thought come from? Kagome did not consider herself weak, not anymore. She had flourished under Sesshoumaru's tutelage. They stood together as equals.

 _I wish I could be happy._

Well of course she wished that. Who didn't?

Actually, those were both things she had desired at one point in her life. It wasn't to say that she still didn't wish the same now, but back then she had felt so defeated after she had retrieved the jewel…

Kagome's eyes snapped open and her hands flew towards her neck. Bare skin. The Shikon no Tama was _gone_. How had she forgotten about it? Now that she thought about it, it hadn't been around her neck since the day they had ventured into that cave. That woman… or magic had claimed that Kagome would have what she was formerly denied. Had she meant her wish?

She was stronger. The jewel was gone, supposedly destroyed. But wasn't the jewel supposed to grant one wish? She had not voiced her wishes back then. Then again… maybe the jewel didn't respond to just verbal intent. It was a magical object, not a being. _Maybe it was able to pick up on my unspoken wishes._ If two wishes were filled, though, there was only one left. Was she supposed to be… happy in this place? Was that why she was sent here? Because she could not imagine that the jewel required her to be here in order to be destroyed.

A time where humans were prey to these beings… it wasn't a foreign concept to her. Demons were always physically stronger than humans; however, the two species had always held the ability to negotiate and communicate with each other. Over the past few years, a shaky truce had existed between them. In this place, humans were _eaten_. That made the future seem quite bleak. How could she be happy here?

-XXX-

Kagome figured she'd wait until the thirtieth day before she completely abandoned the idea of staying here. There were only so many birds, rabbits, and berries she could eat for consecutive days before she completely lost her appetite for them. It was also hard to imagine spending months waiting in the same clearing for some people to show up. Inaction made her antsy.

It was day twenty-two and she had encountered three more of those humanoid beasts since then. Once she had figured out that the nape of the neck was its weakness, facing them became slightly easier. None of them left any traces; even the blood that has splattered across her clothes burned off. All three had been felled by her sword.

Part way through her morning katas, a now-familiar rumble began to disturb the forest. Kagome sighed, pausing mid-swing. There was something different about the noise, though, and Kagome cocked her head in consternation. What was it?

 _Shouts!_

A wooden cart burst through the trees, horses galloping at full speed, sending dirt and debris flying into the air. One of the wheels splintered and cracked when it hit the mound of crystallized slime, overturning the wagon and sending it skidding across the field on its side.

Zipping and whizzing sounds increased in volume, accompanying the shadows flitting through the treetops.

An eight-metre beast approached from her right, swiping at the great branches of a tree. It collided with a shadowed figure on the second swing, sending it flying across the clearing. Kagome clearly heard the screams before a human collided with the ground near her, mangled body now silent.

"Keep it in the forest! Don't let it get to open ground!"

"Karsten, get out of the way!"

Another seven-metre, almost quadrupedal beast emerged beside the first, catching one of the cord-tethered humans in its mouth as he had tried to dodge the other. Blood sprayed across its face, and a free foot tumbled onto the forest floor.

" _Fuck!_ Karsten!"

"Where's Captain Smith!?"

Kagome shook herself out of her stupor. _Humans!_ _Here!_ She charged forward, severing the eight-metre's ankle. With a leap, Kagome embedded her sword into the lower back of the beast and used her momentum while it fell to hoist herself onto its upper back. One last jump brought Kagome to the nape of its neck, where she slashed a neat X-shape. As it completely fell onto the ground and began release ribbons of steam, Kagome caught herself on a lower branch.

"One of the titans was taken out! What was that?!"

"Cadets, where are – nevermind" a new voice choked out high in the treetops above Kagome, "forget the supplies! Grab whoever is left in your team and get rid of that titan. We need to regroup!"

"Commander!" Two green-cloaked men engaged the last beast present.

Something huge slammed into Kagome's branch, catapulting her out of the trees and back into the field. She screamed and covered her head with her arms as she skid, grass and rocks whipping at her forearms.

Another beast stood where she had been just moments before. It ran with surprising speed despite its awkward gait. Kagome watched as this strange form of beast completely bypassed the two men fighting the other beast, seemingly content with just destroying the treeline.

The two cadets were gone now, victims to the seven-metre beast. It held its hand over its head and opened its gaping maw, unaffected by its third prey's screaming.

She wanted to help, but her sword had been thrown from her sometime during the collision. Although, it didn't take long for Kagome to locate her bow and nock an arrow. The strength of her arrows had not been tested against the beasts before, but with it facing away from her for once, Kagome was presented with a prime opportunity.

Narrowing her eyes, Kagome took aim at the back of its neck, firing up her spiritual powers. As the tension on the bowstring increased, the once hairline-sized fracture on her bow increased, straining.

 _Crack!_

The silent _whoosh_ of the arrow sailing through the air proved to be a silent, lethal blow to the beast. Blackened skin bloomed from the embedded arrow, quickly radiating and consuming the flesh of the beast. The smell of ozone thickened in the air.

The human jumped out of the grasp of the beast and into the tree branches once its rotten hand could no longer clasp anything. It folded in on itself on the ground before the body began to disintegrate.

Kagome threw down the pieces of her now broken bow, triumphant, but still unsettled.

The beady eyes of the strange titan were now locked onto her. Her purification must have caught its attention, because it was no longer destroying the trees. It suddenly made a beeline straight for her, its abnormal speed working to its advantage.

Anxiously, Kagome dropped into a crouch, barrier flickering into existence. Would it work against something that fast?

But before it could reach her, the beast stumbled and toppled to the ground in a crash, head rolling off to the side in a splatter of blood.

Kagome straightened, her shield flickering out in surprise.

A man stood on top of the fallen body, overlooking the field at the edge of the neck stump. Several dozen other green-cloaked humans were rushing in behind him – were these military reinforcements?

The man executed a graceful flip and landed firmly in front of her. Before Kagome could blink, his sword tip was pointed directly at her face, blood from his recent kill still burning off into the air.

"Who the fuck are you?"

* * *

Your reviews are appreciated and honestly encourage me to continue. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Characters and plot from canon belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Hajime Isayama.

I hope you know that I'm not planning on going strictly by the original timeline. And the chapters are going to move kinda slowly. AND I'm about to butcher the entire military hierarchy because there's nothing that lines up with this series so... yeah.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

She stared down the point of his weapon, eyes sliding over the evenly sectioned blade. It kind of looked like an oversized box cutter.

Many leather straps wrapped around his thighs, securing strange metal contraptions to both sides of his legs – the most probable source of the cables she had seen the group wielding earlier. A woolen, forest green cloak obscured most of his upper body, although she could see a white cravat secured around his neck. Raising an eyebrow skeptically, she finally made eye contact with the grey-eyed wielder of the sword.

"Well aren't you charming," Kagome said dryly, not able to hide the slight apprehension in her voice.

His face remained expressionless, although his lips tightened, belying his irritation. "Who are you and what the fuck are you doing outside the walls?"

"The walls?" she repeated, confused.

His free hand seized the front of her dirt-stained haori and dragged her closer, his blade now flush against her neck. "Don't act so clueless," he hissed, glaring. "I don't know how a little girl like you is alive, seeing how far away we are from the walls, but it's time to drop the shitty clueless act and tell me how and why you got past the Garrison."

Kagome took one look at his cold expression and felt a surge of indignation. Before she could stop herself, she grabbed the wrist holding her. "Okay, listen here, asshole! I've been here for the last month waiting for someone to show up in this goddamn forest! And just when I felt hopeful because you guys showed up, you have the nerve to talk to me like _I've_ done something wrong when I clearly haven't! I don't even know what kind of wall you're talking about!"

"Squad Leader Levi."

"Tch." At the sound of a new voice interrupting the conversation, the man now known as Squad Leader Levi let go of her with a slight shove and stepped back.

A tall, blond-haired man approached from Levi's left, breaking through a line of soldiers. While the black-haired squad leader had occupied her attention, the rest of the green-cloaked soldiers must have surrounded them in a circular formation.

"I apologize for the hospitality of our troops thus far," the blond said graciously. "We were not expecting to encounter any humans during our expedition, so you must understand that your presence greatly surprised us. I am Captain Smith of the Scouting Legion."

Kagome eyed him warily, not sure what to make of his attitude. While he sounded sincere, the coldness in his blue eyes seemed to tell a different story. She straightened her posture and smiled anyway. "Kagome Higurashi. No title."

A stray thought brought a regal silver-haired taiyoukai to the forefront of her mind and her heart wrenched. A mere thirty days before, she would have called herself a general or an advisor, but there was no army for her to command here.

"It's a pleasure to meet you despite the strange circumstances. The man you became acquainted with earlier is Squad Leader Levi."

Her eyes slid towards the silent man behind Captain Smith. He regarded her impassively.

"The pleasure is mine," Kagome replied wryly.

A commotion in the ranks drew the captain's attention away before he could begin to worm any information out of her. Disheveled and heavily injured, a figure stumbled into the circle.

"Commander Shadis!" a few soldiers exclaimed in relief.

A head of light, mousy brown hair covered his head. His complexion was pale and clammy. The middle-aged man had more wrinkles on his face than she would expect; he frowned, revealing deep worry lines on his forehead and around his eyes. Not a surprise, given his title. It was a heavy burden, carrying the weight of many deaths on his shoulders. She hadn't forgotten the two cadets earlier, now deceased.

"You…" he took a few hesitant steps towards Kagome, glancing down at the broken pieces of the bow and the empty, discarded quiver behind her. "You were the one that killed those titans."

"…Titans?" Kagome asked tentatively. "Were they those giant beasts?"

Incredulous murmurs grew around her.

"Yes." The commander's faint voice faltered. "Didn't you run into any before?"

"Well…yeah…I ran into four over the last month. This was the most I've seen in a day, though – when all of you showed up. They all used to show up alone. "

A brown-haired girl in the crowd began scribbling into a notebook she procured out of her pocket, earning a glare from the squad leader.

"I don't know how you killed those two titans earlier, especially the last one with just an arrow, but had you not intervened –" he cleared his throat. "– I would not be alive right now. So, thank you for that," he nodded, the shadows under his eyes appearing darker at the mention of his near-death. "We have lost enough –"

The commander paused for a few moments, and then began to cough, a wet, guttural sound escaping his mouth as he clutched his ribs. He spat out a wad of blood.

"Sir," Captain Smith intervened. "You need medical attention."

Commander Shadis stumbled, his expression pained. Sounds of alarm were coming from the crowd and soldiers began to step forward.

Seeing him begin to tilt forward, Kagome caught him before he fell and braced his weight on a shoulder.

The adrenaline from the battle must have worn off.

Up close, she could see the sweat on his forehead. He was wheezing now, a desperate sound rushing past his lips. He must have sustained some broken ribs and internal bleeding. It sounded like he had punctured a lung. Would he survive out here with those injuries? What if another titan showed up?

She bit her lip. It was possible for her to help, but it would involve revealing more of what she could do. They had already shown some wariness over abilities and her presence in the clearing; was it worth drawing more attention to herself? Maybe she wasn't giving them the benefit of the doubt. Sure, she had been accosted by them at the very beginning, but given the lack of humans in the area, perhaps they had a good reason to be skeptical. She didn't know enough about this time period to be sure.

"T-the titan… c-crushing." Small flecks of blood dotted the shoulder of her haori as he struggled to breathe against her.

Kagome didn't want to take a chance. She had the ability to help him, so there was no way she wouldn't.

"Allow me, Commander," Kagome said softly.

She pressed a hand against his ribs, feeling him jerk at the touch. A pink light enveloped her hand and his ribs as she closed her eyes in concentration and summoned up energy to heal his wounds.

The soldiers began to protest, but kept their distance at the emergence of the foreign energy. Captain Smith settled an iron grip on her free shoulder in warning, but by then the miko had already accomplished her goal.

The commander's noisy and laboured breathing settled into a more even rhythm. He took a few deep breaths before he shot up and away from Kagome, coughing out the residual blood in his lungs.

Palpating his ribcage, he gasped. "How – what did you just do?"

Kagome smiled, slipping into a more familiar role. "Although your ribs have been healed, they will still be slightly tender for a few days. It would be best to rest until they are fully healed; at this moment they are still susceptible to fracturing, so you must allow it to fully strengthen again."

He looked at her in disbelief.

"My…abilities," she began delicately. "They allow me to heal… up to a certain extent."

For a few moments, the commander merely stared at her with no small amount of wonder. Kagome held his gaze with her head held high, only her pride keeping her from fidgeting out of self-consciousness.

His previously pale pallor had darkened back to what she supposed was his regular light complexion, and he seemed physically well again. That was a good sign.

"Well, Miss…"

"Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi."

"Miss Higurashi. It seems I have fallen into your debt for many things today," he sighed. "Please, although I don't know how or why you are out here, and I don't understand what your… abilities are, I would not want you to remain here without us. I can tell that you are a kind and honourable individual… you don't have any harmful intentions towards our soldiers. Let us escort you back into the walls. I know you may have many questions, and we do as well; however, this area is not safe and we risk losing more soldiers the longer we linger."

At the mention of their deaths, a haunted expression crossed his face. The shadows under his eyes became more prominent, and Kagome could see the tension in his jaw.

With a slow nod of her head, Kagome acquiesced. "Thank you for the offer…although I do not know what these walls are."

The commander smiled grimly. "They are humanity's last and only defense against the titans. Besides you… no humans exist outside those walls."

 _What?_

Her blood ran cold. She didn't know what she had anticipated, but this wasn't it. The sprawling villages of the Sengoku period, the dense bustle of modern-day Tokyo… all of humanity supposedly reduced to a smaller population hiding behind some kind of wall. Was this before or after her original era? The Sengoku period? Did it even matter anymore?

Belatedly, she could hear the commander issuing orders to his soldiers around her.

Why did the Shikon send her _here_ of all places? Did it expect her to make a difference? Whatever fate sent her here for, Kagome knew she couldn't just stand by as people were killed. Futile or not, she would be involved in this mess.

"Sir, this was found by the treeline," a soldier said, breaking the miko out of her thoughts. "We could not handle it directly. It burns when you touch it."

Kagome turned around, spotting Junsaiga nestled in the folds of the soldier's cloak.

"That would be mine, thank you."

"Miss, it'll burn! Don't –" the soldier tried to pull away from her, but Kagome effortlessly grasped the hilt and pulled her sword out of his hands.

"Don't worry, it won't burn me," Kagome smiled. She inspected the blade for any damage, and then used the edge of her sleeve to clean it before it was returned to the sheath on her hip.

While the soldier tried not to gawk, she turned her attention to the comrade beside him who was cradling her arm.

"Did you break your arm?" Kagome murmured in concern. "Please, let me help you with it."

The teenager, for her face seemed so young that she must have been, flit her eyes nervously towards the commander before holding out her arm trustingly to the miko.

Commander Shadis approached as she finished setting the girl's arm. He acknowledged the return of her weapon with a nod and turned towards the healed, wide-eyed soldier. "How are our numbers?"

The girl looked down at her boots, biting her lip. "Fifty-seven dead and twenty-one unaccounted for, sir."

"Thank you."

He remained standing there silently after the soldiers had left to help the others out, looking lost and helpless. Kagome wanted to offer him some form of reassurance, but felt her words would just be empty.

Instead, she listened to the quiet rustling of the leaves and watched the few surviving purple flowers in the field sway in the wind.

"Miss Higurashi, do you know how to ride a horse?"

"Kagome. And yes I do, although I can't claim any mastery over the skill." Horseback riding had not been a priority for her, considering the company she usually kept.

"That's good to hear, Kagome. We can spare an extra horse now that our…numbers are lower, and our wagons are full," the commander sighed.

At a glance at the line of soldiers preparing to go, she understood. The bodies or pieces of their fallen soldiers had been recovered from the forest, wrapped in cloth, and placed on the wagons. Some soldiers sustained lower body injuries, making riding an unlikely option. They would have to sit on the cart. Others needed to be supported by their comrades; they would share a saddle with someone who didn't have any injuries.

The commander led her to the side of the field where some soldiers had corralled most of the recovered horses. He patted a smoky, dark grey horse and held onto its reins as she hoisted herself onto the saddle.

While the horse didn't protest, it was slightly skittish with Kagome's presence on its back. She coaxed it to relax by running her fingers through its silky mane.

"Stay with our squad leaders," he said, gesturing to three soldiers at the front of the formation. "It will be safer for you that way. Squad Leader Levi and Squad Leader Zoë will group together on the left flank – you will join them. Captain Smith and Squad Leader Zacharius will be on the right."

Kagome didn't head straight to her position, though. She meandered through the ranks, offering to ease the bite off of some of the more serious injuries some soldiers held. Unfortunately, she couldn't completely heal them; much of her energy had been spent wrangling the commander out of the arms of death. She had not had a proper meal in quite a while, either.

Twenty minutes later, they finally took off at full speed.

-XXX-

It had taken just under an hour for them to finally leave the cover of the forest.

Wide, grassy plains had greeted her – a welcome change of scenery for Kagome. Nothing seemed to be around them for as far as she could see, leaving Kagome free to enjoy the wind rushing past her face, whipping her hair behind her. Her spread out senses were not alerting her to any danger.

The commander rode a hundred metres ahead, leading the legion in a direct path towards their destination. Kagome was positioned between the two squad leaders, both visible in her peripheral vision. The formation brought all the squads into a tight line beside each other, close enough for easy communication.

Considering the dark atmosphere, she felt surprisingly more relaxed than she had since she arrived in this time period. Kagome let out a long exhale. The steady gait of the horse made her eyes droop.

"You're tired," a voice stated.

Kagome glanced at the squad leader beside her. His façade remained stoic, but Kagome could read his unasked question.

"Healing took a lot out of me," she admitted. "I feel like I sprinted several hundred laps... and then some more. I wish I could've done more for them. But we both know that's not why you're talking to me right now. How can I help you, Squad Leader?"

He broke her gaze, choosing to survey their surroundings. Kagome let out a huff, recognizing his dismissal.

In all honesty, this was more of a welcome than she had expected. She had a feeling that the soldiers would have been more hostile towards her if Commander Shadis had not shown up. They seemed to defer to him not only because of his rank, but because of the level of trust and respect he held.

Captain Smith had appeared benevolent, but something told her he wasn't what he seemed.

Squad Leader Levi, well… Kagome observed him through the corner of her eyes. He seemed pretty stand-offish and rude, but it didn't really bother her. She couldn't even claim to know him. _Okay_ , it could get irritating, but she didn't think he was that bad. Even now, he didn't appear affected by the situation – from what she heard, they had begun with many more soldiers than they had now. Despite the general air of curiosity surrounding her, she could sense the somber mood and exhaustion of the soldiers as they headed towards the wall. Squad Leader Levi was outwardly calm, a supporting figure amidst a sea of turmoil.

Her eyes followed the sharp angle of his jaw up to the nape of his neck, where the black hairs had been cut down close to his skin. Longer hairs above the nape fell over the shorter cut and caressed his ears, falling over his forehead in a neat fringe. It was a military-esque, but surprisingly elegant style.

"You said you were out here for a month before today. How did you survive?"

His question startled her and her eyes shot forward, afraid that he had caught her staring.

 _What was I thinking?_ She could feel her cheeks warming in embarrassment. Kagome chanced another look at him, only to find that he most likely hadn't been looking at her at all. She realised he was waiting for her to reply.

"Well, um… I'm sure you already know about my abilities. I've also had a lot of experience fighting… and a lot of experience out in the wilderness, too. Seeing those titans for the first time scared me shitless, but I guess they're just another kind of enemy," Kagome said vaguely. "It's either kill or be killed."

She didn't know how much she should reveal about her past, but knowing the military, she'd be forced to elaborate sooner or later anyway.

"I guess it's an impressive feat for a little brat like you," he smirked. "You didn't wet your pants when you saw your first titan, did you?"

Kagome bristled at the backhanded compliment, ready to fire back a retort.

The squad leader looked past her and raised his voice. "Shitty specs, take your four eyes off your notebook before you create more goddamn casualties on this expedition."

The brown-haired woman grinned, jokingly gracing him with a half-assed salute – at least, that's what the strange movement looked like – before tucking the book back into the folds of the cloak.

He scoffed.

She broke away from her position, sidling up to Kagome's horse. Squad Leader Levi rolled his eyes and moved away as she approached.

"Well aren't you just a fine specimen," she smiled at Kagome, giving her a once over.

Kagome hesitantly returned the smile, unsure how she should interpret the comment.

"Hange Zoë, at your service!" She said and continued on, not missing a beat. "So! How exactly did you heal Commander Shadis? Do you have superpowers? That's so cool! I've never seen such superb cell regeneration before! Tell me, did you simply re-adhere his tissues, or did you accelerate cell division? Did you create any cells yourself? Are there any after effects?!"

"Uh, I just –"

"Does it matter what tissue has been damaged? Can you heal brain tissue? Cardiac?"

"Well, to be honest, I just –"

Kagome sent a distressed look at the other retreating squad leader, but he acted ignorant. _Damn it!_ Did he know this was coming?

" _And!_ I saw when you killed that Titan! I've never seen necrosis at that speed! Is it an ability of yours or is it a specific response by the titan? Is it limited to titans? Can you do that to humans, too?"

"Listen, I –"

"How did you –"

"Well –"

"– and the titans –"

"Squad Leader Zoë!" Kagome exclaimed in desperation, drawing the attention of the surrounding soldiers.

The squad leader didn't seem the least bit put off by the interruption; her grin didn't falter. "I guess there's plenty of time to find out more about you later," she laughed. "I can't help myself! I'm just so excited to meet you! Call me Hange. And don't mind Levi, he's just gotta pack a lot of snark into his little body to make up for his size," Hange winked.

The miko laughed, and the sound caused Hange to brighten further. It was nice to actually talk to people again after spending so much time alone.

"Your captain said earlier that you were part of the Scouting Legion. What exactly do you do?"

"Scouting Legion, Survey Corps; we're the part of the military that goes beyond the walls to discover more about the Titans. There's also two more sectors: the Garrison, who are in charge of guarding the walls, and the Military Police Brigade, who act as the king's guard."

Kagome got the feeling there was a whole lot more to it, but she didn't ask.

"So..." Kagome chewed on her bottom lip. "I'm guessing your sector is the only one that gets any real contact with the titans, then? I mean, if these walls are supposedly impenetrable, then the Garrison wouldn't have to deal with too much, and if the Police Brigade guards the king, then, well, I doubt the king would stay anywhere near the titans."

"Right-o," Hange replied. "The Garrison gets a titan every now and then at the outer wall, Wall Maria, but they just have to watch it from the top since the titans can't enter. Most of them have never even seen one before."

"Have the titans always been here?"

The squad leader frowned. "They appeared approximately one hundred years ago, but nobody knows where they came from. Humanity has been safe since the walls went up."

If the civilians never had any contact with the titans, Kagome wondered what they thought of the Survey Corps, who willingly went into titan territory.

The loud thundering of a titan's footsteps alerted Kagome to potential danger. It approached slowly from their front, right in the path they were currently taking. This one looked about six metres high, with a disproportionately larger head than the rest of its body.

"Stay on your horse, Levi and Erwin will handle it."

Sure enough, an anchor shot out from Squad Leader Levi's contraption, attaching itself to the shoulder of the titan once it was close enough. With a whizzing sound, he leaped off of his horse, reeling himself into the titan.

The captain mirrored his actions on the other shoulder, and both of them swung in an arc past each other until they were in position behind the titan. They shot their cables out again at the nape of its neck, the squad leader first carving out one side, followed by the captain, who neatly sliced the other side, taking a clean chunk of its neck out.

It landed on its face by the soldiers, forcing some of them to skirt around the titan's body.

Without much ceremony, both attackers were back on their horses and the formation was realigned.

"Wow, that looked effortless!" Kagome exclaimed. The gear wasn't as fast as a demon, and it sure didn't match up to their jumping or flying abilities, but it was slightly reminiscent of them. That was enough to make her want to try it out.

"We got lucky," the brown-haired squad leader replied. "Engaging a titan often leads to casualties, but that was one of the weaker, predictable kinds that we've encountered, and Levi and Erwin are some of our most skilled. I think the civilians are starting to call Levi humanity's strongest soldier, actually." She sounded amused.

Time passed slowly as they continued on-route. Twice, titans showed up again, but they were far enough from them that the commander could turn the legion in a different direction.

Kagome concluded that she could not sense the titans coming. Sometimes her instincts would tell her that something was up, but she wouldn't be able to pinpoint where a titan was coming from.

Her purifying powers, however, still somehow affected the giant beings. It sizzled, but didn't seem to exactly purify them – the moment her arrow had hit a titan earlier, its skin had started to rot. Or burn. Or a combination of both, Kagome wasn't sure.

"We're almost here," Hange said, breaking the silence that had surrounded the two.

Sure enough, as they galloped over the crest of the hill the wall came into view, stretching left and right as far as she could see from her position. It was what she always imagined the Great Wall of China would look like if she had ever gotten the chance to see it.

They slowed as they approached, giving time for the Garrison soldiers to spot them. Soldiers that had shared a horse began to dismount and walk the rest of the way.

To Kagome's horror, the wall only got bigger and bigger as they got closer. As they crossed into the shadow of the wall cast by the late afternoon sun, she began to feel absolutely dwarfed by its height.

 _This_ was the wall? How had it been possible to build something of this size while they had been trying to fend off titans?

Glancing up fifty metres of evenly-stacked stone reaching towards the sky, Kagome felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Outside was the wide expanse of the unknown where she had come from, filled with the beauty of nature and marred by the existence of titans; inside, the last of human civilization.

How could they live within something like this? Kagome could have never imagined humans resigning themselves to such a fate, but the truth was quite literally towering over her.

A memory bubbled up from long ago, and Kagome didn't resist the words slipping softly out of her mouth.

" _Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage._

 _When, oh when will it come out?_

 _In the night of dawn, the crane and turtle slipped._

 _Who is behind you now?"_

The black-haired squad leader fixed her with a narrow stare, appearing slightly unsettled by the eerie melody.

Kagome returned his gaze with a wan smile.

At the top of the wall, the loud gongs of a bell began to ring, and a deep, resonating sound signalled the opening of the gates.

The last of humanity behind these walls… a glorified cage.

* * *

Please, please review! You're all so encouraging and it makes me sad that so many people are apparently following this, but not saying anything. Thank you so much!


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